Tom Ballard

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Be Funny Challenge (Impossible)

Adelaide Fringe, Port Fairy, Warrnambool, Canberra Comedy Festival, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival, Newcastle & Brisbane Comedy Festival

As seen on Fisk, Deadloch, Tonightly, Guy Montgomery’s Spelling Bee and Deal Or No Deal (for some reason). As heard on podcast Serious Danger.

After a year away from touring, doing nothing but being very nice and uncontroversial, Australia’s Special Envoy For Comedy Tom Ballard returns in 2026 with a new show packed with heaps of jokes about all the stuff.

You should definitely come along. After all, the world is extremely normal right now and everyone’s getting along really well, so why don’t we all just get together and have a nice laugh about it, you know?

What’s the worst that could happen????

Nominee – Melbourne Comedy Festival Award 2023

Nominee – Best Comedy, Melbourne Fringe 2023

“One of the slickest hours of stand-up I’ve ever seen and packing a proper comedy punch.”  Adam Hills

“Fierce and funny…Ballard is a dynamo – a whirling, toe-curling bundle of energy, who is as politically powerful as he is fantastically funny.” ★★★★½ Arts Hub

“A relentless whirl of opinion, silliness, and increasingly bad-taste jokes against those who most deserve it.” ★★★★½ Chortle [UK]

“Absolutely packed with elite gags” ★★★★ The Scotsman [UK]

“To call Ballard a comedian is being kind…..All Ballard has is a potty mouth,  and being from the demographic their ABC loves.” hair stew, Daily Mail commenter

jks: a comedy(?)

Melbourne Comedy Festival

The sell-out Melbourne Fringe hit returns for SIX SHOWS ONLY!

A weekly stand-up gig. Backstage.

In between their sets, five comedians are laughing, bitching and talking shit.

It’s all fun and games…until they hear the news: a legend has died.

Depending on who you ask, he either leaves behind a lifetime of laughter, or a legacy of bigotry and pain. Or maybe both. Or neither…

The comics get stuck in: was this guy actually funny, or just embarrassing? Is being “funny” all that matters, anyway? What’s even the point of telling jokes? How much harm (or good) can they ever do? How dark and fucked up can you go? Who can say what – and who decides?

As the gig carries on in the background, the comics go to war on The Big Question: what is comedy even for?

A new (funny) play about what it means to be funny.

Starring Bev Killick (Deadloch), Kevin Hofbauer (Dear Life), Tom Ballard (Tonightly), Tiana Hogben (Thank God You’re Here) and Lauren Bonner (Going Under).

Written by Tom Ballard.

Directed by Ben Russell (Thank God You’re Here).

Longlisted for the 2025 Griffin Award.

“Clever, illuminating.” ★★★★ The Age

“Acerbic and flat-out hilarious.” ★★★★★ Tinsel & Tap Shoes

“A wonderfully, tightly written commentary on comedy today.” ★★★★ Theatre Matters

Content warning: this play includes very strong coarse language, adult themes, black humour, and the use of certain slurs relating to disability, race and gender.